Scenes from Congress conclave—Congregation of party heavyweights, Rahul’s sharpest attack on EC yet

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi Saturday said that “the election system in India is already dead” and alleged that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were “rigged”, claiming that he had proof to substantiate his charge.

Rahul suspects elections to 70-100 Lok Sabha seats during the 2024 general elections were likely rigged. | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Addressing the annual legal conclave of the Congress—titled ‘Constitutional Challenges Perspectives & Pathways’—Rahul said that a Congress analysis found that of the six-and-a-half lakh electors in the 2024 general elections, one-and-a-half lakh were fake.

Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi at Vigyan Bhawan | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

“The truth is that the election system in India is already dead. The Prime Minister of India holds office with a very slim majority. If 15 seats were rigged—we suspect that the number is over 70 to 100—he would not have been the Prime Minister of India. We are going to prove to you in the coming few days how a Lok Sabha election can be rigged and was rigged,” Rahul said while addressing the gathering in the national capital.

Rahul Gandhi attends the Congress conclave on constitutional challenges | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Highlighting a six-month investigation into the elections data by the Congress, Rahul further alleged that the Election Commission of India no longer existed; it had disappeared. According to documentation received from the EC, Rahul called what the Congress had ascertained “literally like an atom bomb”.

Rahul before launching a fresh salvo at the Election Commission of India | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

“This makes it clear that the institution that defends the Constitution has been obliterated and taken over. We have such proof that will show the whole country that the institution of the Election Commission does not exist … It has taken us six months of non-stop work to find this proof. You will see with zero doubt how a Lok Sabha election is stolen,” Rahul said.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge addresses his party leaders during the Congress conclave in Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Congress Leader Priyanka Gandhi arrives at Vigyan Bhawan, Delhi | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and Priyanka Gandhi at Vigyan Bhawan | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Rahul Gandhi shakes hand with Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Rahul Gandhi shakes hand with Mallikarjun Kharge | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Rahul Gandhi shakes hand with Telangana CM Revantha Reddy | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

The LoP rekindled his suspicions regarding the election system, saying that he had his doubts about “something being wrong” since 2014. Questioning the BJP’s sweeping victories in the assembly elections of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, Rahul noted that the Congress began investigating electoral malpractices, following their defeat in Maharashtra, where one crore new voters appeared within months ahead of the assembly elections, with the BJP ultimately gaining from the move.

Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge at Vigyan Bhawan | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

D. K. Shivakumar, Telangana CM Revantha Reddy, and Himanchal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu at Vigyan Bhawan | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Mallikarjun Kharge in an animated conversation in Delhi’s Vigyan Bhavan | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Rahul Gandhi, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Mallikarjun Kharge in a conversation | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah is greeted by Deepak Hooda | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Telangana CM Revantha Reddy and Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah engage in talks | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Former CM Puducherry V. Narayanaswamy talks to Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

“I have been speaking in recent times about the election system. I had always suspected something was wrong, starting from 2014. I had a suspicion during the Gujarat Assembly elections. This ability (of the BJP) to win sweeping victories … in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, or Gujarat surprised me. Whenever we spoke, people said, ‘Where’s the proof?’ Then, something happened in Maharashtra,” Rahul said.

Salman Khurshid and K.T.S Tulsi, an MP of Rajya Sabha, greet each other in Delhi’s Vigyan Bhavan | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

P. Chidambaram shakes hand with Himanchal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in Delhi’s Vigyan Bhavan | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Salman Khurshid having a laugh at Vigyan Bhavan | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

D. K. Shivakumar at Vigyan Bhawan | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

“In the Lok Sabha, we won the election. And then four months later, we did not just lose, we were obliterated. Three formidable parties suddenly just evaporated. We started to look seriously for electoral malpractice. We found that in Maharashtra, one crore new voters appeared between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections. The bulk of those votes go to the BJP … Now, I say, with absolutely no doubt that we have proof,” the Congress leader said.

(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)